INDIANAPOLIS – The last time anyone sees Victor Oladipo this season could be Sunday, when the Pacers host Game 4.

A loss to the Boston Celtics would mean a sweep that concludes at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

“We still haven’t played our best basketball,” coach Nate McMillan said after Saturday’s practice session. “We do feel that there’s hope and that we can beat this team.”

While non-rotation players such as rookies Edmond Sumner and Alize Johnson continued to scrimmage in half court, Oladipo walked by and could be seen sharing pleasantries.

A dejected Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) in the second half of their game Friday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse agaisnt the Celtics.(Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar)

Quickly, he disappeared from sight.

He was supposed to be at Game 3 on Friday until weather didn’t allow him to leave his home in Miami. He would've found the first quarter difficult to watch as the Pacers allowed 41 points. They'd come back to take the lead but ran out of answers in a 104-96 defeat.

“He brings energy wherever he goes,” McMillan said of Oladipo. “I’m sure it’s going to bring energy to that building, everybody on the team, the fan base, Indiana.”

The Pacers, who have lost six times to the Celtics since Oladipo’s game-winning 3 against them here in their first meeting Nov. 3, need any edge — real or imagined — that they can get.

In a seven-game series there’ll always be tweaks in the game plan to keep the opponent off-balance. The Pacers have played Kyrie Irving without hard-hedging on the ballscreens and then did it Friday.

The latter forced him to be a facilitator with 10 assists, setting up Jaylen Brown and Al Horford to knock down spot-up jump shots. They came through.

The Pacers had a 12-point third quarter in Game 3, after a 12-point fourth in Game 2 and an eight-point third in Game 1.

All three could’ve easily been converted to wins with a made shot here or there, a better pass or decision with the ball.

“We’re not making extra passes,” point guard Darren Collison said. “They’re executing better than us. Everybody talks about that team being so talented but they’re actually making the right plays. We’ve got to start doing that.”

Myles Turner took ill-advised quick shots. Bojan Bogdanovic failed to find the open man on a drive to the basket. The Celtics weren't exceptional in the third, either, but they scored nine more points because of their hustle plays.

Tyreke Evans came off the bench to lead seven players scoring in double figures for Indiana, with 19 points in 21 minutes.

McMillan wanted to stick with him to end the game but the combo guard asked out.

“He asked for a sub. We had to get him out,” McMillan said. “He’d played 10 to 12 straight minutes. I was going to let him go.”

Evans had the poise that most of his teammates lacked. The Celtics had it in perpetuity as their role players complemented their star in Irving.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyreke Evans (12) drove between Boston Celtics forward Marcus Morris (13) and Terry Rozier (12) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday.(Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar)

“Regardless of what their players do on their team we still feel like we had a chance to win,” Collison said. “We could’ve gotten better looks to give us a chance to win that game. I’m not too concerned about what they do. I’m more concerned with what we do.”

The Pacers have yet to reach 100 points. The Celtics reached that mark for the first time in three games Friday, but their output of 84, 99 and 104 is a sharp downturn from 135, 114 and 117 they scored against the Pacers in their wins during the regular-season series.